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Intelligent systems of essay grading constitute important tools for educational technologies. They can significantly replace the manual scoring efforts and provide instructional feedback as well. These systems typically include two main parts: a feature extractor and an automatic grading model. The latter is generally based on computational and artificially intelligent methods. In this work, we focus on the feature extraction part. More precisely, we focus on argumentation and discourse-related features, which constitute high-level features. We discuss some state-of-the-art systems and analyze how argumentation and discourse analysis are used for extracting features and providing feedback.

This study aimed to measure the effect of rater training given to improve the peer assessment skills of secondary school students on rater behaviors using the many-facet Rasch Measurement model. The research employed a single-group pretest-posttest design. Since all raters scored all students, the analyses were carried out in a fully crossed (s x r x c) pattern. There were three facets in the research: student, rater, and criteria. The study group consisted of 25 seventh-grade students at a public school in Ankara in the 2021-2022 academic year. All 25 students in the study group were instructed to write compositions. The compositions were examined by the researchers, and 10 were selected for peer assessment. Before the experiment, students were asked to evaluate their peers' writing skills according to the rubric developed by the researchers. Then, rater training was given to the students for four weeks. After the rater training, the students were instructed to re-evaluate the writing skills of their peers. In the research, four rater behaviors were examined: rater severity, rater leniency, differentiated rater severity, and differentiated rater leniency. When the research results were examined, it was observed that rater training contributed to reducing severity, leniency, and differentiated severity and leniency behaviors.

This study investigates the application of the fuzzy logic method for scoring open-ended items, specifically comparing its effectiveness against traditional scoring methods. Utilizing the fuzzy TOPSIS method within the mathematics domain, this research established seven criteria for evaluating open-ended responses, developed in consultation with three experts. Due to constraints imposed by the pandemic, the study did not proceed with a real-world application; instead, it simulated data for 25 students to compare the rankings derived from traditional and fuzzy logic methods using the MS Excel program. The research produced three distinct rankings using the conventional method and analyzed the correlation between these rankings and those generated by the fuzzy TOPSIS method, employing the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The findings reveal a significantly positive correlation between the rankings obtained through traditional methods and those acquired via the fuzzy logic approach, suggesting the latter's potential as an effective alternative for evaluating open-ended responses.

Although there are claims that ChatGPT, an AI-based language model, is capable of assessing the writing of L2 learners accurately and consistently in the classroom, a number of recent studies have shown discrepancies between AI and human raters. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies investigating the intrareliability of ChatGPT scores. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the accuracy and consistency of ChatGPT compared to teachers, as well as with itself, after being trained on a rubric. To accomplish this goal, the study adopted a quantitative correlational non-experimental design. A dataset of 100 writing assignments, submitted by a cohort of B1-level students at an international branch university in Egypt, was analyzed quantitatively. These assignments were initially evaluated and moderated by trained teachers (n=11), and subsequently, the same assignments were also assessed twice by ChatGPT. The findings indicated that teachers' scores exhibited a higher level of accuracy compared to those generated by ChatGPT. The results also revealed that ChatGPT exhibits a moderate, yet questioned, level of intra-rater reliability. The weak-to-moderate correlations between ChatGPT and teacher scores raise concerns about the accuracy and consistency of ChatGPT's scoring of writing assignments. The implications of the findings highlight the potential applications and limitations of ChatGPT in L2 writing assessment. This study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the use of AI technologies in language education and provides insights into the accuracy and reliability of ChatGPT as an evaluation tool for L2 writing.

Courses are the fundamental building blocks of educational programs, serving as a tangible representation of student attainment and the desired learning outcomes of the program. Despite their pivotal role in education, however, a standardized framework for the development, implementation, and enhancement of course specifications remains elusive. Given that different programs may employ varying formats with differing levels of detail, it is critical to establish a universal framework that enables instructors to adhere to quality standards at the program level. To this end, leveraging the ASEAN University Network -- Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) and Quality Matters Rubric, this study seeks to optimize course quality assurance requirements and assess lecturers' perception of these proposed guidelines. Drawing on document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and importance-level measurement, the findings of this study underscore the significance of eight criteria, comprising a total of 25 quality requirements, in ensuring course quality. These criteria include learning outcomes, structure and content, instructional approaches, learning assessment, learner support, staff, and output. Notably, these criteria align with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle theory, thereby promoting continuous improvement in education.

This research aimed to develop and validate a rubric to assess Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots' effectiveness in accomplishing tasks, particularly within educational contexts. Given the rapidly growing integration of AI in various sectors, including education, a systematic and robust tool for evaluating AI chatbot performance is essential. This investigation involved a rigorous process including expert involvement to ensure content validity, as well as the application of statistical tests for assessing internal consistency and reliability. Factor analysis also revealed two significant domains, "Quality of Content" and "Quality of Expression", which further enhanced the construct validity of the evaluation scale. The results from this investigation robustly affirm the reliability and validity of the developed rubric, thus marking a significant advancement in the sphere of AI chatbot performance evaluation within educational contexts. Nonetheless, the study simultaneously emphasizes the requirement for additional validation research, specifically those entailing a variety of tasks and diverse AI chatbots, to further corroborate these findings. The ramifications of this research are profound, offering both researchers and practitioners engaged in chatbot development and evaluation a comprehensive and validated framework for the assessment of chatbot performance.

This study uses self-determination theory to examine the effect of gamification on the students' behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement in online discussion forums by providing more instructor badges than automatic badges and using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. Behavioral engagement was measured using the number of posts and replies; emotional engagement was measured using perceived relatedness; and cogitative engagement was measured by the quality of the post/reply's content. Sixty participants used the developed online discussion website and held two 3-day discussion sessions (non-gamified and gamified) with different topics. The data were collected using user logs (number of posts and replies), questionnaire responses (perceived relatedness), and assessment rubrics (scores on the post/reply content), analyzed using the one-way repeated measures analysis of variance. The results revealed that gamification affected emotional engagement, which was influenced by the "like" feature, which made it easier for participants to appreciate others' activities. However, this feature also decreased the number of replies (behavioral engagement) because the students perceived "liking" as an easier way to appreciate other posts/replies instead of writing a reply. The number of posts also decreased since participants' motivation in the second session tended to focus on the quality of the content caused by the badge list page, which guides the expected best content from the participant. This study can provide guidance to universities in implementing gamification in LMS.

Duolingo has been collecting feedback from education users for the past seven years in order to make the app useful as a classroom tool, in addition to its ongoing use in informal learning settings. To understand teachers' experiences about Duolingo for classroom and to understand further measures recommended to strengthen the platform for classroom instruction, the purpose of this paper was to examine the research question: What are educators' feedback on Duolingo's school program based on a netnographic analysis of discussion boards? Netnography was used to research publicly available data concerning how educators can use the assessments in Duolingo classrooms as an instructional tool to personalize learning. The netnographic analysis found three themes among educators' comments: (Theme 1) questions about grading, credit, and testing; (Theme 2) the use of grading rubrics; and (Theme 3) requested modifications from Duolingo for the Duolingo school program. In understanding the educators' concerns with Duolingo for Schools, with modifications to connectivity issues and scoring guidelines, educators and students may be better prepared to learn with Duolingo in a classroom setting. With some additional improvements to Duolingo classrooms, educators may benefit from using the progress reporting in Duolingo classrooms as an assessment to support personalized learning.

This study explores the feasibility of using AI technology, specifically ChatGPT-3, to provide reliable, meaningful, and personalized feedback. Specifically, the study explores the benefits and limitations of using AI-based feedback in language learning; the pedagogical frameworks that underpin the effective use of AI-based feedback; the reliability of ChatGPT-3's feedback; and the potential implications of AI integration in language instruction. A review of existing literature identifies key themes and findings related to AI-based teaching practices. The study found that social cognitive theory (SCT) supports the potential use of AI chatbots in the learning process as AI can provide students with instant guidance and support that fosters personalized, independent learning experiences. Similarly, Krashen's second language acquisition theory (SLA) was found to support the hypothesis that AI use can enhance student learning by creating meaningful interaction in the target language wherein learners engage in genuine communication rather than focusing solely on linguistic form. To determine the reliability of AI-generated feedback, an analysis was performed on student writing. First, two rubrics were created by ChatGPT-3; AI then graded the papers, and the results were compared with human graded results using the same rubrics. The study concludes that e-Learning arning certainly has great potential; besides providing timely, personalized learning support, AI feedback can increase student motivation and foster learning independence. Not surprisingly, though, several caveats exist. It was found that ChatGPT-3 is prone to error and hallucination in providing student feedback, especially when presented with longer texts. To avoid this, rubrics must be carefully constructed, and teacher oversight is still very much required. This study will help educators transition to the new era of AI-assisted e-Learning by helping them make informed decisions about how to provide useful AI feedback that is underpinned by sound pedagogical principles.

Physical education classrooms reflect a range of learners, movers, and abilities. Incoming physical educators report lacking confidence and knowledge in their ability to create inclusive lesson plans. Many undergraduate and liberal studies students are required to take one adaptative physical education pedagogy course; thus, incoming educators tend to lack an array of instructional tools to ensure all students are participating in activities and engaging with peers. The goal of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is for teachers to use a range of strategies by removing barriers to learning and giving students opportunities to experience physical education to the best of their ability. Physical educators have the foundational tools; they just need to envision using those tools differently. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how, by combining the physical education and UDL frameworks, educators can implement an inclusive lesson with a skills rubric and a summative assessment.

Listening comprehension is a crucial skill in English as a Foreign Language education, yet listening assessment still needs to be explored. This study aims to understand how listening is assessed in a Colombian private language institution and its potential connection to students' underperformance in listening proficiency tests. We characterize the listening assessment used in B1-level classes through a descriptive case study. Utilizing a rubric, we analyzed fourteen listening tasks from various sources, including course materials and a mock PET exam. Our analysis had two primary objectives: (a) to uncover the rationale behind test design and its alignment with the curriculum, and (b) to evaluate the knowledge types targeted and the forms of listening assessment employed using categorization. Our findings reveal that despite the curriculum's holistic listening development goals, assessments predominantly focus on phonological knowledge through dictation tests, in which students primarily engage with audio media and recordings. These findings suggest a misalignment in the way listening is approached during the whole course, the examinations used to assess listening during the B1 level, and the use of an external standardized test as the exit exam. This study holds potential implications for curriculum alignment and the enhancement of language assessment literacy within our context, shedding light on potential factors contributing to students' underperformance in listening comprehension.

In this study, it was aimed to develop a rubric to evaluate the creative story writing skill levels of seventh grade secondary school students. The research was designed in quantitative research method and survey model. In the research, convenience sampling technique was used and 270 students studying at the seventh grade level of secondary school were studied. In the process of creating the item pool of the research, 11 academicians, 8 teachers and 7 graduate students were consulted. In order to create an item pool, firstly, a literature review was conducted. The prepared item pool was presented to the field experts and the draft scale was applied to the sample group. As a result of the findings obtained, it was concluded that there was a high level of consistency between the evaluations made by different raters. The validity studies of the scale were conducted and it was determined that the content and criterion validity were appropriate. In order to determine the reliability of the scale items, Cronbach's Alpha value was determined. It was determined that the Cronbach's Alpha value of the scale with all sub-dimensions was above 0.7. Cohen's Kappa statistic ([kappa]) was used to ensure internal consistency between raters (p<0.05). As a result of the analyses, it was determined that there was almost perfect agreement in the items in the scale. Finally, Cohen's Kappa coefficient was determined to determine whether there was agreement between the raters, and a significant level of agreement was found between the raters of the scale. In addition, as a result of the results obtained from the expert opinions, it was decided that the rubric should consist of 6 dimensions and 24 items in total, namely "imagination", "originality", "different perspective", "content", "language and expression", "form", and five levels, namely "strongly agree", "agree", "partially agree", "disagree" and "strongly disagree".

The insertion of Machine Learning (ML) in everyday life demonstrates the importance of popularizing an understanding of ML already in school. Accompanying this trend arises the need to assess the students' learning. Yet, so far, few assessments have been proposed, most lacking an evaluation. Therefore, we evaluate the reliability and validity of an automated assessment of the students' learning of an image classification model created as a learning outcome of the "ML for All!" course. Results based on data collected from 240 students indicate that the assessment can be considered reliable (coefficient Omega = 0.834/Cronbach's alpha [alpha] = 0.83). We also identified moderate to strong convergent and discriminant validity based on the polychoric correlation matrix. Factor analyses indicate two underlying factors "Data Management and Model Training" and "Performance Interpretation", completing each other. These results can guide the improvement of assessments, as well as the decision on the application of this model in order to support ML education as part of a comprehensive assessment.

This article examines faculty motivation to integrate community engagement (CE) into teaching and research, in relation to faculty identity, rank and status, experience, and faith. Building upon previous research that focused on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, our study also examined the role of an institutional definition of CE with clear criteria, as outlined by the Community Engagement Institutional Assessment (CEIA) rubric, in the motivational cycles of faculty reflection on current and aspirational aspects of CE. Surprisingly, our results illustrate that even when colleges and universities support CE across the institution, faculty may not be significantly motivated by this expressed valuing of CE. Importantly, our findings indicate that faculty would like to achieve the aspirational status on all criteria, pointing to the potential for the rubric to bridge the gap between institutional mission and individual faculty motivations. Enhancing this alignment may increase sustained and meaningful impact on the community.

Online teaching is an inseparable part of the education system and necessitates the development of educators' abilities to integrate knowledge on assessment and techno-pedagogic knowledge to enable the intelligent use of basic online assessment methods. This study considers how the cocreation of a teamwork rubric to assess the production of a learning unit designed by students in groups contributed to the online self-assessment of collaborative work processes from the perspective of student-teachers. Cocreation of a rubric was combined with graded self-assessments to stimulate students' increased responsibility for the learning process. I employed a mixed-methods methodology for the research, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to investigate students' attitudes concerning the contribution of their cocreation of rubrics to the improvement of their assignments and their assessment skills. The sample included 120 student-teachers at the graduate level. The results clarify the contribution of cocreating rubrics to student-teachers' online assessment of collaborative work processes and reveal their attitudes concerning the use of collaborative processes in their teaching. Creating a positive learning experience for the student-teachers can train and encourage them to employ alternative assessment methods in their teaching.

Motivating students towards language learning includes embedding meaningful themes, communicative tasks, and authentic assessments. When voice and choice are held as essential qualities of the task, students invest in the resources to make meaning and express their own thoughts, thus moving us away from traditional assessments that emphasize surface-level understanding and towards critical thinking and proficiency. Applying the unit's learning to an interpersonal or presentational assessment that values not only the structures and vocabulary but also the students' synthesis makes their language learning personal.

The present study attempted to examine the effect of using the connectivist approach on developing secondary-stage students' cross-cultural awareness and translation performance. The study comprised thirty-two first-year secondary stage students enrolled in El-Jalawea Institute, Sohag Governorate. The study adopted the quasi-experimental design. Thirty-two participants were randomly assigned to one group, and they were taught through a suggested web-based program. Data were gathered and analysed using both quantitative and qualitative instruments. A pre-post online translation and cross-cultural awareness test, an online questionnaire, and a web-based training program/blog were used in the study. Findings indicated that participants showed significantly higher levels of translation performance samples in the areas of reading comprehension, writing fluency, Computer-assisted Translation (CAT) tool usage, text analysis, and terminology search. Findings also showed significantly higher levels of cross-cultural awareness in both cognitive and affective aspects compared to students' achievement before the treatment. Participants also showed evidence of transition from word-for-word to meaning-for-meaning translation. The development of the students' performance was demonstrated by multiple measures that imply that the suggested web-based program is effective for developing secondary-stage students' translation performance and cross-cultural awareness skills.

The aim of this research was to investigate how young students can be supported to use Socratic Seminar as a tool for critical thinking skills and deep, dialogic discussion of complex texts through use of picturebooks. In this teacher action research study, a first-time kindergarten classroom teacher supported by a university professor, enhanced the literacy instruction of their 19 students through the use of Socratic Seminar. Data were systematically collected through weekly Harkness models and a speaking and listening rubric. Results from the Harkness models indicate a meaningful change in the dynamics of the student conversation from teacher-led to interactive student engagement. Across the 5-week intervention, participation increased from approximately one-half of the students to full participation. The speaking and listening rubrics demonstrate a positive increase in (a) tracking the speaker, (b) repeating back what is heard, (c) contributing to conversation with multiple exchanges, and (d) following agreed-upon rules for conversation. Students also became better at listening to others' responses, and responding on topic. Through iterative design and intentional reflection, the teacher and university researcher found that while the Socratic Seminar was effective in improving students' participation, multiple scaffolds were necessary to support young participants such as visual supports (e.g., interactive word walls and printed pages from the texts), physical supports (e.g., question cubes and talking chips), and written supports (e.g., student writing samples).

This study aims to explore the effects of pre-service teachers' use of rubric in self-assessment with instructor feedback on academic achievement and self-regulated learning. Their perceptions and experiences of the self-assessment intervention were also investigated. A total of 79 pre-service teachers participated in the study. A mixed methods approach was used as a blend of experimental and qualitative design. The quasi-experimental research model with pretest/posttest control group design was employed in the quantitative phase of the study. The pre-service teachers (N = 79) were assigned to either use of rubric in self-assessment involving tutor feedback condition or a non-self-assessment condition for their essay assignments. Besides, the pre-service teachers' perceptions and experiences of using self-assessment with instructor feedback were explored in the qualitative phase of the study. Data were collected using a rubric, an achievement test, a self-regulation in learning subscale and reflective journals. The results indicated that the rubric used in self-assessment with instructor feedback group had higher achievement and use of self-regulated learning strategies than the no-intervention group. The reflective journals also revealed that most of the pre-service teachers found the self-assessment a useful learning tool. They felt that it helped them to improve their learning by guiding them to set their own goals, monitor their progress and reflect on their learning through their own tasks. The implications for educational research and practice are discussed.

We report on the development of a rubric to reliably qualify and score responses to the "Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire" (VNOS): The "VNOS Analysis and Scoring Rubric" (VAScoR). The "VAScoR" is designed to (a) provide systematic guidance for the qualitative analysis, and score assignment to nuanced categories, of "VNOS" responses, (b) explicitly scaffold qualitative inferencing and standardize score assignment to substantially lessen the burden of, and variance in, analyzing and scoring the "VNOS," and (c) improve the viability and meaningfulness of cross-study comparisons drawing on "VNOS" data. The rubric adopted the "VNOS's" consensus NOS framework and further delineated core and related elements across 10 target NOS aspects. The "VAScoR's" reliability was examined in two studies that drew on "VNOS" questionnaires completed by 185 preservice secondary science teachers (58% female; 126 undergraduate and 59 graduate students) enrolled over several years in a combined undergraduate and graduate licensure program in a large U.S. Midwestern university. In Study I, "VAScoR" analyses of 86 "VNOS" questionnaires undertaken by a single author were used to examine the rubric's intra-rater reliability, which resulted in a robust Cronbach's alpha value of 0.81. In Study II, analyses by four authors of a randomly generated, overlapping set of 18 questionnaires were used to examine inter-rater reliability, which was supported with substantial consensus among raters as indicated by a Cohen's kappa of 0.71. Further evidence for the "VAScoR's" inter-rater reliability was indicated by moderate to strong consistency among four raters with an overall Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.82, and coefficient values ranging from 0.77 to 0.89 for six possible rater pairings.

Over the past decade, self-assessment tools have garnered significant attention in the interest of measuring the skillset required by educators and students to function productively and ethically in digitally mediated environments, particularly in relation to education policy implementation. Since stated beliefs do not always align with actual practice, gaps have been shown to occur between self-reporting and performance in practice. Having an external assessor can counteract this imbalance; however, both perspectives should be taken into consideration as both are equally important. Against this background, this study develops and validates two rubric-based frameworks that supplement self perceived student and educator digital competence with classroom observation and task performance analysis. The DigComp and DigCompEdu self-assessment frameworks were used as a starting point to develop a student rubric and an educator rubric, respectively, underpinned by criteria validated in previous frameworks. The expert technique, which is the base for the Delphi Method, was used to validate each rubric, after which the rubrics were implemented at a Spanish university to test their reliability. The results indicated that the force of agreement across raters was consistent and both rubrics had a high degree of internal consistency, therefore both instruments are reliable.

Contribution: This concept article shows how the mathematical competencies research framework (MCRF) can guide the design of rubrics to assess engineering mathematics tasks. Practical guidance is given for engineering mathematics educators wanting to create effective rubrics that support student learning and promote academic success. Background: The authors argue that including some rubric-assessed tasks can help students cope better with mathematically challenging concepts. By making explicit the mathematical competencies needed, students may make better use of mathematics concepts outside of mathematics classes. Research Question: What are the design principles for using rubrics to develop mathematical competencies in a way that enables engineering students to voice their values? Methodology: Literature on rubric design was combined with the MCRF and engineering graduate attributes to design rubric principles for tasks involving mathematics competencies. Findings: A general rubric is presented, aligned to six mathematical competencies, with an example of a task and rubric for analyzing ac circuits with complex impedance on GeoGebra. By giving room for students to voice what they value, the rubric design helps to address the challenge of inclusion.

Librarians at a Midwestern, midsized state university studied the application of their flexible programmatic information literacy rubric to one-shot first-year writing library instruction. Ten librarians taught 23 sessions of first-year writing on information access skills and assessed each class using the flexible programmatic information literacy rubric. The results emphasize how a flexible rubric can both assess student learning and provide librarian instructors with autonomy to use methods and lessons that feel authentic to them.

In design-oriented biomedical engineering courses, some instructors teach need-driven methods for health technology innovation that use a "need statement" to reflect a student team's hypothesis about the most fruitful direction for their project. While need statements are of the utmost importance to the projects, we were not aware of any comprehensive rubric for helping instructors evaluate them. Leveraging resources such as the "Biodesign" textbook along with input from faculty teaching health technology design at our university, we created a rubric for evaluating the construction of need statements. We then introduced the rubric to undergraduate students in a 3-week intersession course in fall 2023. Afterward, we used the rubric to compare the de-identified final need statements from 2023 to the de-identified final need statements from students in the course in 2022 and 2021. Our assumption that need statements from 2023 would score better against the rubric than those from previous years proved not to be the case. However, we gleaned valuable lessons about the role of rubrics in supporting student learning and increasing alignment among faculty, as well as insights about rubric development and areas for future study. In this article, we also share the initial version of the rubric so that other instructors can adapt and improve upon it for their own courses.

This paper describes the development of the "Flourishing Classroom System Observation Framework and Rubric," which provides a framework and practical approach to defining and describing multiple interconnected observable characteristics of a classroom system that individually and together can be targeted to cultivate collective flourishing within schools. Beginning with a working theoretical model based on existing literature, a three-round Delphi study was used to develop the framework and related rubric. In round 1, 35 experts answered open-ended questions regarding observable behaviours of collective wellbeing in the classroom. Analysis of responses resulted in a framework with five dimensions, each with three sub-dimensions. In round 2, 23 experts sorted and categorised statements that potentially described each of the 15 sub-dimensions. Analyses created definitions of each sub-dimension and statements describing how they manifest for teachers, students, and the class, along with a description of the learning environment for each dimension. In round 3, 18 experts reviewed the definitions and descriptions, resulting in a final 15-dimension framework with a related rubric of 45 descriptive statements. The resulting framework and rubric provide an organising structure to identify observable system elements that shape a flourishing classroom culture.

Students with disabilities need high-quality instruction to effectively wield writing as a tool to powerfully shape both academic and economic outcomes. Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is a powerful intervention demonstrated to improve student growth and writing performance for students with learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Moreover, it has been extended to show benefits beyond those populations into general education settings at the secondary level and to also support both reading and content area knowledge acquisition. That said, it's a complex intervention that requires intensive support through professional development. In this manuscript, we outline how instructional coaches and other teacher leaders can best support teachers in middle and high school settings as they adopt SRSD, an evidence-based writing practice, through a practice-based professional development model. We offer step-by-step directions for planning, implementing, supporting, and evaluating the implementation.

The Australian government funded the West Australian project 'Reporting Values to Parents' as part of 'The Values in Action Schools Project' (2009). The two aims of the qualitative study were to develop a common values language supported by observable behaviours and an appreciation that values education is fundamental to schooling. Teachers used an action research process to create authentic values activities and involve parents in the assessment process. Parents shifted their perspectives to ratify teachers' role to teach values explicitly. Students experienced a deeper sense of connection and belonging at school. Educators can adapt the activities in this paper to infuse values into their teaching. Future research is warranted to support and retain preservice teachers by examining the 'hidden curriculum' and personal biases to create inclusive classrooms. All students have a right to access an education that reflects their interests and values and teachers need urgent support for this quest.

Teacher-scholars have called upon fellow language educators to redevelop curricula at all proficiency levels to portray the lived experiences of target language (TL) speakers. This article presents a semester-long project that contributes to developing diverse teaching materials for college-level learners at the novice level. Via an ePortfolio with 10 tasks (virtual and in-person), 20 learners of a second-semester German course explored connections with the TL locally and broadened their understanding of language-community membership beyond stereotypical notions of native speakers. Participants' feedback demonstrated how this project positively impacted students' learning experiences and reflected learners' strong desire for similar assignments in future courses. The findings speak to strategies of how educators can help beginning learners find connections to the TL in local contexts and investigate the diverse lived experiences of TL speakers abroad. The project's approaches, flexible format, and outcomes are easily implemented across various proficiency levels, world languages, and institutional contexts.

This article emphasizes the importance of success criteria as a tool to support students' academic success. Research has consistently shown that strong teacher-student relationships lead to improved academic outcomes, but building strong relationships involves defining their impact on student learning outcomes. Success criteria support personal development and academic success, leveraging relationships by answering three key questions: "What am I learning?; Why am I learning this?"; and "How will I know that I have learned it?" By describing what learners must know and be able to do, success criteria make the learning target visible to both teachers and students. The article further examines the concept of teacher clarity, central to effective learning partnerships within a culturally responsive context. When teachers are unclear, students may lose motivation and engagement, leading to low achievement, especially for underperforming students. Therefore, effective communication through success criteria can support academic success and build strong teacher-student relationships.

The Next Generation Science Standards regard biological structures at both the micro and macro levels as a core idea of life sciences and expect students to understand animals have external structures that perform diverse functions. Using the common creature of bees as a case, this study aimed to ascertain teenage students' ideas of bees through their visual representations. A total of 73 seventh-grade students aged approximately 13 years from two classes took part in a draw-bee(s) test (DBT), which requests them to create a drawing of a bee or bees. Then their completed drawings were scored against a tentative rubric of bees' basic external structures. The results highlight that many students hold alternative ideas about bees. Notably, a high number of students fail to depict bees' external structures scientifically, with some morphological features being most often missing, inaccurately numbered, inappropriately shaped, or disproportionately sized in their drawings. Based on these results, some implications are elucidated for improving students' understanding of bees in biological teaching.

To examine the interaction between educators' intercultural development and students' intercultural growth, we studied the impact of CIEE's Intercultural Communication and Leadership (ICL) course. Our results indicate that Educator, Country, Gender, and Field had impacts on students' intercultural gains (Gibson et al., 2023); the focus of this article is solely on educators' perceptions of the factors that shape their ability to foster student intercultural learning. Using the AAC&U's (2009) Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric to frame the 22 educator interview responses, our study indicates the tangible results of formally and informally supported educators' intercultural professional development. As a result of educators' intentional intercultural development, they leverage skilled pedagogical techniques to effectively bridge with students to enhance their intercultural learning. Therefore, we argue for the investment, expansion, and mentorship of faculty development, particularly with regards to educator's own intercultural growth, in order to activate and expand students' learning while studying abroad.

For more than 30 years, Peter Senge's theory of learning organizations has influenced the study of leadership and organizations. Researchers have studied various components of his framework: team cognition and mental models, team learning, shared vision, systems thinking, and personal mastery. But few articles have explored what it looks like in practice when the five disciplines of the learning organization are enacted in an organization. This article explores the ways in which these disciplines influenced the implementation and outcomes of a collection diversity audit at Sonoma State University Library. The authors discuss the ways that Senge's learning organization framework enabled them to create a sustainable model for evaluating diversity in selection and acquisition practices.

This study aimed to unveil pre-service primary school teachers' (PPSTs) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) regarding the unit "Let's Recognize the Force" suggested by grade 3 science curriculum. Through a single-case (holistic) design of case study method, 43 PPSTs voluntarily participated in the study. To collect data, a Google Form with open-ended questions was developed and administered. In analysing the data, the authors improved a four-point rubric to evaluate the quality of their responses. Hence, they scored their responses through the rubric and imported them into SPSS 20.0[TM] to run correlation analysis for TPACK components. Also, their responses were exposed to content analysis to generate their conceptual schemes via the "cut-off" points. The findings showed that the PPSTs had some shortcomings in associating and transforming their TPACK to the unit "Let's Recognize the Force." The current study recommends that future research should focus on how to improve the PPSTs' domain-specific TPACK.

Though a number of studies addressed the current needs in EFL teachers' training, a main research gap yet to be addressed is investigating the efficacy of the professional development of in-service teachers using an instructional model and its actual impact on students. Through using three instruments -designed by the author- that included: (a survey of EFL teaching skills, a teacher knowledge test, a digital literacy skills scale, a teacher performance assessment analytic rubric), this study attempted to determine the impact of ASSURE model on EFL in-service preparatory teachers teaching skills and digital literacy skills. The results indicated that z-values of the teachers' knowledge test, teachers' digital literacy skills scale and teachers' performance assessment rubric were significant. ASSURE model proved to be helpful in developing EFL preparatory teachers teaching skills and digital literacy skills.

This paper describes an investigation of the relationship between students' writing knowledge and second language writing performance. Metacognitive and metalinguistic knowledge contribute significantly to writing performance. As a foreign language, 78 undergraduate students took a writing knowledge class and a writing proficiency test. The knowledge process has a strong influence on writing performance. Except for vocabulary knowledge, other aspects and sub-aspects had no significant effect on writing performance. Vocabulary knowledge had a negative impact on writing performance. In other words, while some aspects and sub-aspects of writing knowledge did not significantly influence writing performance, others did. The pedagogical implication is that all aspects of writing knowledge must be explicitly taught in writing instruction in order to improve students' writing quality. However, there must be a priority of aspect as the core of the material to be taught, with the other aspects and sub-aspects serving as complementary materials. This could result in a moderate relationship finding and a low percentage of contribution. Undergraduate English as a Foreign Language students from various institutions and provinces may have varying levels of language proficiency and writing skills.

It is known that the reading performance of disadvantaged students is lower when compared to non-disadvantaged students. It has always been discussed that being disadvantaged affects teachers' bias in scoring students' reading performance. Therefore, the existence and effect of the teacher factor in the low level of reading performance of students in disadvantaged groups is worth investigating. The reading comprehension skills of disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged fourth grade primary school students were assessed in this study. Moreover, whether the classroom teachers were biased in scoring the reading comprehension skills of the disadvantaged students were also investigated. The reading comprehension skills of 48 students, 13 of whom were disadvantaged and 35 were non-disadvantaged, were assessed by three classroom teachers (raters) using an analytical rubric. The data were analyzed using the Many-facet Rasch measurement model. It was found that the classroom teachers were biased in evaluating the reading comprehension skills of disadvantaged students. Likewise, the reading comprehension levels of the non-disadvantaged students were higher than the disadvantaged students.

Algebra 1 is a gatekeeper course with profound implications for students' academic and professional success. This study examines the implications of teaching Algebra 1 through a standardized, fully online, asynchronous course developed by one of the largest online course vendors in the United States in alignment with Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM). Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, we evaluated the strengths, limitations, and leverage points for realizing the instructional rigor set forth in the CCSSM. Data were collected using a CCSSM-aligned observation rubric that required observers to rate each of the 34 online Algebra 1 lessons on Likert-type scale questions as well as provide a narrative description of the curricular content, instructional tasks, and assessment activities. The online course provided opportunities to demonstrate understanding and real-world application in a manner that demonstrated high surface-level fidelity to CCSSM but was limited by infrequent process reflective and communication-based tasks. We discuss implications and propose instructional strategies that could be implemented to enhance current limitations to the asynchronous, online setting studied.

The aim of this study is to reveal experienced primary school teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), sub-components of PCK, and their possible interactions with science teaching. To this aim, a multiple holistic case study design was used. The research used a comprehensive PCK model consisting of 5 categories and 28 subcategories to reflect the knowledge base of teachers. Among the volunteered teachers, four experienced primary school teachers were randomly selected for research. Data triangulation, which utilizes interview, observation, and document analysis together, along with a subject matter knowledge test (SMKT) developed by the researchers, was used to explore teachers' PCKs in-depth. According to the results of the research, it was concluded that instead of making standard generalizations about teachers' PCK, explaining the situation over sub-categories and making comparisons on the basis of teacher competencies can guide our PCK understanding. Due to PCK's complexity and depth, several results were obtained in this study. One of the basis result of the study, the PCK category, in which experienced primary school teachers are the best compared to other categories, is "pedagogical knowledge" which is consistent between teachers and within each teacher's own levels of sub-categories. The weakest PCK categories of teachers were "knowledge of assessment in science" and "curriculum knowledge of science," this situation also leads to inadequacies in using appropriate contemporary learning-teaching processes, strategies, alternative assessment methods and rubrics. Therefore, the PCK model of the research can be recommended as an explanation guide for future studies.

Systematic analysis of undergraduate curriculum design and assessment is required to ensure real world experiences are embedded in a degree structure for a high level of information literacy (IL) attainment. IL competencies and skills are critical for successful graduate outcomes. We developed a framework using a constructive alignment approach to develop the Student Attributes for Information Literacy (SAIL) and accompanying rubric with outcomes that categorize depth of application over degree progression. The rubric was used to audit IL in core units of a multidisciplinary Bachelor of Environmental Science degree before and after a cycle of curriculum design. SAIL's rubric provides educators with a practical and repeatable approach to identifying IL development in units of learning. The SAIL rubric found that IL, for most core units, was taught, practiced, and assessed at the foundational level. At the advanced level, however, students had limited opportunities for literacy training, practice, and assessment in a digital context until the end of the degree. The framework and rubric identified gaps and opportunities in IL attainment, and thus warrants further application. Making sure these gaps are addressed, with opportunities identified for learning throughout a progressive program, will ensure resilient and adaptable graduates in a digital dominant workforce.

Self-assessment is a formative process where students evaluate the quality of their own work. This paper describes a strategy for using student created rubrics as self-assessment tools to increase student engagement. Initially, the instructor models how to identify criteria for mastery in an assignment. This is followed by students in small groups identifying criteria for mastery in their assignment. These criteria can be used to create either an analytic or holistic rubric. Students use this rubric first to practice the assessment process through peer-review, followed by self-assessing their own work. Students can also choose to conference with their instructor to discuss their feedback as well as reflect on the quality of their work. The student will then apply this feedback to their work prior to final submission.

Good oral communication skills are necessary to help people understand and process information in a clear manner. Aspiring language teachers must be able to exemplify good verbal ability to become competent in their fields. Therefore, it is important to develop a future teacher's ability to communicate in English. This study investigated the effects of the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach on the oral communication skills of teacher education students in a local college in Laguna, Philippines. Appreciative Inquiry is defined as the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system's capacity to heighten positive potential; it focuses on doing more of what is already working, rather than focusing on fixing problems (Whitney & Cooperrider, 2011). A group of 11 student participants were given treatment in the form of an intervention workshop that followed the 4D cycle model of Appreciative Inquiry. Results revealed a significant impact in the students' motivation to improve their oral communication skills. The intervention sessions had a positive effect on their self-confidence and eagerness to proceed with specializing in English language education. Their notion of their own personality that reflected negative self-talk was observed to have been significantly transformed into high self-esteem and determination. Feedback from the post-intervention interview suggested that the AI approach is a viable method that can be used in the classroom setting to build a safe learning space for students who engage in second language acquisition because the sessions give out a sense of fulfilment, positive reinforcement, and self-paced success. It is recommended that teachers employ AI techniques in their teaching-learning plans to sustain their students' motivation in pursuing Teacher Education and to support their varying needs and preferences based on the strengths they already possess.

Soon after Kachru (1992) promoted the notion of the World of English(es) through his 'inner-outer-expanding circle' principle, academic audiences started to recognize that the number of English nonnative speakers had noticeably surpassed that of native speakers. Such a phenomenon has encouraged English learners of diverse lingua-cultural backgrounds, particularly those of outer and expanding circles, to acquire the 'standard' English skill proficiency set by the inner circle group. However, their different accents, for example, are often deemed as a deviation of 'standard' English, that is strange, foreign, or non-standard. A universal recognition of a trend to World Englishes is paradoxically not followed by practitioners' pedagogical breakthroughs to devalue the 'nativelikeness' norms in assessing learners' oral and written proficiencies. Many scoring rubrics for speaking skill assessment still consider mother-tongue accent as an interfering factor that hinders oral accuracy. Furthermore, students' writing is often assessed based on taken-for-granted nativelikeness norms: linearity, relevance, and logically articulated. This paper, therefore, aims to provide a critical review upon productive skill assessments by contesting conventional concepts of 'accuracy' and considering an alternative assessment which is more World English(es)-friendly as well as to revisit old norms of academic writing assessment imposed to multilingual English learners by voicing out current insights from English as a lingua franca and World Englishes perspectives.

The main purpose of speaking education is to enable individuals to express their thoughts accurately and effectively in every environment they communicate. This is possible with the teaching plan and measurement tools for different speech types. This research focuses on students' persuasive speaking skills. In this study, we aimed to develop a rubric to evaluate the persuasive speaking skills of primary school fourth grade students in Turkish. The research was designed with a quantitative research method and survey design. The study group consists of 100 students studying in the fourth grade of primary school. A convenience sampling technique was used to determine the study group. The study data were collected in five weeks through the students' plan papers and persuasive speech video recordings. In this process, students were asked to choose one of the topic suggestions for persuasive speeches and to plan and present their speeches. The collected data were evaluated by two raters using a rubric prepared by consulting expert opinion. The evaluation results were analysed, and a valid and reliable rubric was created. It was decided that the rubric would consist of fourteen categories, including "planning", "attracting attention", "expressing the problem situation", "expressing the solution", "visualisation", "directing to action", "supporting and justifying thoughts", "appealing to emotions", "subject integrity", "starting and ending a conversation", "voice utilisation", "fluency", "body language" and "use of time" and three achievement levels as "high", "medium" and "low". The developed rubric can be used in lessons by primary school fourth grade teachers.

Literature review shows that the development process of an achievement test is mainly investigated in dissertations. Moreover, preparing a form that will shed light on developing an achievement test is expected to guide those who will administer the test. In this line, the current study aims to create an "Achievement Test Development Process Control Form" and investigate the achievement tests for Maths based on this form. Document analysis was conducted within the framework of qualitative research and was done based on descriptive analysis. Within the scope of the research, 1683 articles published in designated journals between 2015-2020 were reviewed. It was determined that a mathematics achievement test was developed in 39 of these articles, which were coded on the control form. The articles that were included in the scope of the current study were investigated in terms of the type of items used in the tests, the theory or practice on which the test was developed, the use of rubric for open-ended items, the number of items in the pilot and final form, features of the test form as well as those pertaining to the table of specifications, the features of item pool, the evaluation of pilot testing, the evaluation of real study, test validity and reliability, and the setting in which tests were administered. The current study findings show that mostly an item pool was not prepared, the pilot application was not conducted or was not specified, and even if it was conducted, item analysis was not performed, test forms or example items were not included in the articles, and there were some deficiencies regarding validity. On the other hand, it was clear that the articles mostly specified the test goal and reported the reliability coefficient. In light of the current findings, some suggestions are provided for test developers and those who will administer these tests.